Veterans Fellowship
An 8-week professional development program for Veterans Writing Project alumni pursuing a career in television.
Since 2010, the Writers Guild Foundation has supported emerging writers from military backgrounds through the Veterans Writing Project. Today, the program is one of the strongest of its kind.
However, drastic changes in the industry over the last decade have made breaking in as a professional screenwriter more challenging than ever. To better serve our growing pool of talented alumni working to break into the industry, WGF launched the Veterans Fellowship.
The fellowship’s mission is to provide educational resources, professional guidance, and career-building opportunities for Veterans Writing Project alumni who are on the threshold of breaking in as professional TV writers.
Fellows participate in an 8-week course where they gain hands-on experience in simulated writers’ rooms and a nuanced understanding of support roles and writers’ room etiquette. Throughout the program, each fellow is assigned a one-on-one showrunner mentor who helps them polish their script, develop a refined self-pitch, and prepare for real-world networking opportunities with industry professionals.
Talent Requests
Are you an industry professional seeking new writer connections? If so, we welcome you to visit our Alumni Talent Portal!
The Talent Portal features graduates’ bios and links to their resumes and samples. You will also gain access to the 2024 Veterans Fellowship Lookbook, an invaluable resource for anyone seeking qualified candidates for support staff or staff writer positions.
To request access, please visit this page and complete the talent request form.
Program Overview
The 8-week Veterans Fellowship centers around professional development and curated mentorship, featuring a variety of guest speakers from every corner of the industry. Each fellow is paired with a showrunner who shares their format and genre interests. Mentors provide their mentees with valuable feedback on their scripts and unique insight into the business of writing for the screen.
By the end of the course, alumni will have multiple polished samples, a refined self-pitch, hands-on experience in simulated writers’ rooms, a nuanced understanding of support roles and writers’ room etiquette, and more. Most importantly, they will have the opportunity to participate in several meaningful networking opportunities with industry professionals who have the potential to hire them.
-
Meetings are hosted in-person at WGAW HQ in Los Angeles.
-
The 2025 Fellowship begins in late March 2025 and concludes in late May:
December 5, 2024: Applications open
January 21, 2025: Applications close
March 31, 2025: 8-week course begins
May 19, 2025: 8-week course ends
Fellows will be expected to participate in events, mixers, and workshops throughout 2025 following completion of the 8-week course.
-
WGF’s Veterans Fellowship is reserved exclusively for graduates of The Veterans Writing Project. See “Eligibility” for additional requirements.
-
The Veterans Writing Project and Veterans Fellowship each serve a unique purpose and audience.
VETERANS FELLOWSHIP
8 weeks, 5-6 participants
Open to Veterans Writing Project alumni who are on the threshold of breaking into the industry
Focused on the business of screenwriting and career building opportunities
——— VS. ———
VETERANS WRITING PROJECT
8-9 months, 40-50 participants
Open to U.S. military veterans who are seeking a career as a professional screenwriter
Focused on craft and the process of writing a script
For more information on the Veterans Writing Project, click here.
-
No more than 5 or 6 mentees are selected for each cohort.
Each participant is assigned a showrunner-mentor who shares their format and genre preferences. Mentors and mentees will meet each week on a mutually determined schedule.
-
Workshops are led by the core instructor, Eli Edelson.
Mentors and guest speakers will also contribute to each discussion.
Meet the Instructor
Eli Edelson is a writer and producer who currently works as a creative executive for the writer Tony McNamara. Prior to that, he wrote on three seasons of the Freeform drama Motherland: Fort Salem. He worked as a writers' assistant for drama shows on FOX (Bones), Netflix (Unbelievable), and HBO Max (Raised by Wolves) before being promoted to writer. Eli is a longtime mentor with the Veterans Writing Project as well as the Writers’ Access Support Staff Training Program. He is represented by Sugar23 and FKKS.
Our Mentors
2024 MENTORS
Bill Wrubel (Ted Lasso)
Desmond Moran (Tiny Beautiful Things)
Jeremy Carver (Doom Patrol)
Joy Kecken (Genius: MLK/X)
Linda Gase (Dr. Death)
Maria Ferrari (Call Me Kat)
2025 MENTORS
Hart Hanson (Bones)
Kyle Harimoto (NCIS: Los Angeles)
Stefani Robinson (Atlanta)
Kira Snyder (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Craig Sweeny (Watson)
David Weddle (For All Mankind)
Eligibility
WGF’s Veterans Fellowship is reserved exclusively for graduates of The Veterans Writing Project.
To apply for this program, applicants must:
Have previously completed both The Veterans Writing Project extended yearlong program AND the kickoff retreat weekend.
Reside in or near the Greater Los Angeles area and be able to attend all in-person meetings.*
Provide examples of meaningful past and ongoing efforts to break into the industry.
Demonstrate interest in pursuing a career in television and be able to provide samples of at least two completed scripts.
Applicants who have NOT previously participated in The Veterans Writing Project or those who only attended the Weekend Retreat or short-term summer program will be disqualified.
If you participated in The Veterans Writing Project prior to the addition of yearlong workshops, you will be eligible to re-apply for that program. Click here for details about the VWP.
* Regarding applicants who reside outside of the Greater Los Angeles area, WGF will consider offering admission to non-local candidates who 1) can commit to attending weekly meetings in-person and 2) plan to move to the Los Angeles area.
How to Apply
The application window for 2026 Veterans Fellowship opens on Tuesday, March 31 at 12:00pm PT. Please return to this page for the link to apply via Submittable.
The deadline to complete your submission is Tuesday, April 28 at 11:59pm PT.
Interested applicants can subscribe to the Veterans Writing Project Alumni Newsletter to receive updates about the next admissions. If you are a graduate of the VWP and would like to subscribe to this newsletter, please email your name and graduation year to programs@wgfoundation.org.
-
Applicants must be prepared to submit the following:
Detailed summary of writing background and creative preferences
Professional resume
2-3 essay question responses
400-word personal statement
Minimum of two (2) completed scripts, including at least one television script that matches your preferred format and genre
Names and contact information for up to three (3) industry references, including:
A current or former Veterans Writing Project mentor.
An industry professional (e.g. showrunner, producer, development executive) who is not associated with the Veterans Writing Project.
(Optional) An additional industry professional
NOTE: Recommendation letters are not required at this stage in the admissions process. We will contact listed references for a written recommendation only if a candidate advances to the finalist stage. Additional requirements may be added as needed.
-
Selections will be made with the support of a small admissions committee made up of current and former Veterans Writing Project mentors or program supporters. WGF will solicit recommendations from mentors prior to the commencement of the review process.
One-on-one mentorship serves as a core component of the fellowship, so selection will be based largely on the pool of available showrunner-mentors.
-
Applicants will hear back about their status on or by July 1, 2026.
Please note that we may contact you to request additional information or to schedule an interview between mid-May and late-June.
RSVP: Info Session on March 11
WGF is hosting a virtual info session for prospective applicants on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. PT.
Instructor Eli Edleson and program director Kira VandenBrande will share insight into the Fellowship’s objectives and admissions process, along with support from recent alumni.
Click the button below to reserve your spot!
Alumni
-
![RJ Palisoc headshot]()
RJ Palisoc
2025 Graduate
RJ Palisoc is a crime drama writer who grew up in 90’s gangland Los Angeles. Seeking a way out, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy right out of high school where he gained more perspective on the human experience. Now a veteran, he hones these experiences into writing authentic characters who navigate through the blurred lines of morality. He’s built a career as a Producer, working with Marvel, Netflix, and now Sony.
-
![LeVonda Lee headshot]()
LeVonda Lee
2025 Graduate
LeVonda's storytelling journey began when she wrote and directed plays for Black History Month while serving in the U.S. Air Force. She earned an MFA in screenwriting from USC. She’s a graduate of the Veterans Writing Project and the Veterans Fellowship. She writes grounded dramas and sci-fi thrillers exploring power, identity, and unseen systems.
-
![Christopher Harris headshot]()
Christopher Harris
2025 Graduate
Christopher David Harris is a gay Air Force veteran from Virginia. A huge nerd, he writes quippy sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero stories that explore themes of transformational journeys, religious and family trauma, connection to adversity, and the power of claiming your truth, with an eye towards LGBTQIA+ inclusion and representation.
-
![Anthony Pittore headshot]()
Anthony Pittore
2025 Graduate
After funding film school at mob-run poker clubs, Anthony Pittore joined the Navy as a cryptologic linguist and later served as an intelligence analyst for the NSA. He left government work to become a writer/producer and military consultant, recently rewriting a feature for a Netflix producer and selling a series to a vertical-format prodco.
-
![Corinthian Maldonado headshot]()
Corinthian Maldonado
2025 Graduate
A proud Borícua from New York, Corinthian serves in the U.S. Air Force. He found his passion for writing in the middle of the desert during a deployment and has pursued it ever since. A graduate of the Veterans Writing Project and of the Veterans Writing Fellowship, he tells stories of loss, home, and the fight to belong.
-
![Addison Blu headshot]()
Addison Blu
2025 Graduate
Addison Blu is an L.A.-based writer and military veteran. He served in the elite Army Special Operations, with whom he deployed to combat in Afghanistan and conducted Psychological Operations. He was recently the Military Consultant for the Hulu series Paradise. Addison writes half-hour and hour TV, always grounded in character and humor.
-
![Nicole Schwegman headshot]()
Nicole Schwegman
2024 Graduate
Nicole Schwegman, a retired Navy Commander with 20 years of service, is a Naval Academy graduate who served in the Arabian Gulf and South China Sea. As Assistant Press Secretary for President Biden, she handled media for diplomatic issues like Trevor Reed and Brittany Griner's return. Now, she's a TV drama writer focusing on military stories.
-
![Rylan Tuohy headshot]()
Rylan Tuohy
2024 Graduate
Rylan became a TV Writer by way of rural Kentucky, a physics degree, Naval service, and viral videos. With an affinity for crime dramas with grounded comedy, Rylan received the Netflix Native American Writer Accelerator Grant and was in the inaugural Writers Guild Foundation’s Veterans Fellowship.
-
![Tracy Thompson headshot]()
Tracy Thompson
2024 Graduate
Tracy Thompson is a North Carolina native, Army Vet and former Aerospace Engineer. A TV writer with a knack for storytelling and a vivid imagination, she was selected for the inaugural Writers Guild Foundation’s Veterans Fellowship. She enjoys writing flawed characters with children and putting them into unfamiliar (and often hilarious) roles that make them the target audience predicaments.
-
![Kadyn Michaels headshot]()
Kadyn Michaels
2024 Graduate
Kadyn writes character-driven sci-fi, fantasy, and horror stories for film and TV. He was mentored by Jeremy Carver (DOOM PATROL) during The WGF’s Veteran Fellowship and has worked as a writer’s assistant & researcher for Kira Snyder (THE HANDMAID’S TALE). Previously, Kadyn served as a U.S. Naval Officer specializing in Surface Warfare (ship driving and fighting) and Intelligence.
-
![Cathy Torres headshot]()
Cathy Torres
2024 Graduate
Cathy, a Baylor grad and prior-service Marine, writes compelling stories with bold female leads. Drawing from her small-town Texas roots, experiences as an international flight attendant, and scuba diving adventures, she skillfully blends humor and grit into her narratives.
-
![Brian McDevitt Jr. headshot]()
Brian McDevitt Jr.
2024 Graduate
Brian McDevitt Jr. is a TV Comedy writer, veteran, substitute teacher, the favorite uncle, and a part-time Pokémon Trainer. Recently Brian completed the WGF's Veterans Fellowship where he was mentored by Bill Wrubel (TED LASSO, MODERN FAMILY). Brian writes original Half-Hour TV Comedies with Heart.
Get Involved
If you are a WGA member or industry professional who is interested in serving as a mentor or guest speaker, please contact WGF’s Director of Community Programs, Kira VandenBrande, at programs@wgfoundation.org.
